Ravi Shankar RIP

I was saddened to hear of the loss of Ravi Shankar.  I photographed him back in 1998 for Newsweek magazine.  I barely knew who he was, but I diligently did my research and I learned about how he was India's best known musician and a master of the sitar and about his connection with George Harrison and The Beetles.

I took his portrait in a midtown Manhattan hotel room.  He was here on tour with his daughter Anoushka and I shot photos of them together too and with their sitars.  This was back before digital and unfortunately, the above photo is the only one I had scanned.

I was only about a year into my photography career and I remember Ravi Shankar to have been a kind and patient subject.  I am happy to have captured his fascinating and wizened face and proud to have this iconic figure as part of my body of work.

LEAPING TALL BUILDINGS @ NY COMIC-CON

powerHouse Books is pleased to announce

THE ORIGINS OFLEAPING TALL BUILDINGS
FINDING NEW WAYS TO DOCUMENT THE CREATORS BEHIND THE COMICS
FEATURING CHRISTOPHER IRVING, SETH KUSHNER, & ERIC SKILLMAN

Hosted at this year's
2012 NEW YORK COMIC CON
Thursday, October 11, 4:00PM - 5:00PM
Javitz Center, NYCC Comics Studies Conference 6, Location: 1A07

Hannah Means-Shannon (Georgian Court University) leads a discussion with the creators of Leaping Tall Buildings: The Origins of American Comics writer Christopher Irving, photographer Seth Kushner, and designer Eric Skillman on the strategies they developed to create this unique and significant book on American comics for everyone, from casual reader to scholar. For more infomation visit the New York Comic Con website here.

Leaping Tall Buildings: The Origins of American Comics outlines the history of comic books through the creators, documented in Irving's interview-based essays and Kushner's photography. The Wall Street Journal calls Leaping Tall Buildings "a living history," while The New York Times considers it "a great survey of many of the talented men and women behind the characters." Publisher's Weekly calls it "nearly as epic as the field's history itself," while Huffington Post refers to Kushner's photography as "remarkable."

Christopher Irving is a pop culture historian with a concentration in the American comic book. A veteran of comics history and journalism magazines like Comics Buyers Guide and multiple Eisner Award-winning Comic Book Artist (where he served as Associate Editor), Irving combines new journalism with comics history to create personality essays on comic book creators. Leaping Tall Buildings is Irving's fifth book on comic books. Irving currently edits digital comics magazine The Drawn Word. www.thedrawnword.com

Seth Kushner's portrait photography has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Time, Newsweek, L'Uomo Vogue, The New Yorker and others. He is a three-time winner in Photo District News magazine's Photo Annual Competition. Seth's first book, The Brooklynites, (with Anthony LaSala) was published by powerHouse Books in 2007. Currently, Seth is profiling real-life characters in his series CulturePOP Photocomix and writing Schmuck, his semi-autobio "comix neurotica", both at TripCity.net, a Brooklyn-filtered literary arts salon, which he co-founded and co-curates. www.SethKushner.com

 

Eric Skillman is a graphic designer and art director best known for his work with The Criterion Collection and the (infrequently updated) design process blog, Cozy Lummox (ericskillman.blogspot.com). He also writes comics: his debut graphic novel, LIAR'S KISS, with artist Jhomar Soriano, was published by Top Shelf in 2011. Upcoming projects include the digital anthology series EGG: HARD BOILED STORIES, and SUCKERS, with artist Jorge Coelho, which will be launching soon at Trip City. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and newborn daughter.

For more information about Leaping Tall Buildings: The Origins of American Comics please click here. Or visit the Graphic NYC page here.

For more information, please contact Nina Ventura, Publicist
powerHouse Books, 37 Main Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Tel: 212-604-9074 x118, Fax: 212-366-5247, email: nina@powerHouseBooks.com

© Copyright 2012 powerHouse Books

SETH KUSHNER'S UNDERSTANDING PHOTOCOMIX

Last spring, I was asked by American Photo magazine to to produce an 8-page meta “photocomic” about myself making photocomix, something I’ve been doing in my “spare” time for the past two-years as the series, CulturePOP Photocomix, where I've profiled such fascinating subjects as; Chuck Klosterman, Moby, Jonathan Ames, Stoya, Reggie Watts, Marc Maron and others.

I decided to title the piece “Understanding Photocomix" (a nod to Scott McCloud) and I used my own words and photos to tell the story of how I first discovered photography, first started working freelance for magazines, how I produced my book The Brooklynites (with Anthony LaSala), how Leaping Tall Buildings came about, and how I learned to combine my loves of comic books and photography into a wholly unique form. I had only a week to put it all together, and it was amazingly challenging, but I am proud of the results which ran in the July/August issue of American Photo Magazine.

Please have a look at the piece, which not only acts as a discussion of a form, but also serves as a "highlight reel" of my career.  View it here:

Seth Kushner's UNDERSTANDING PHOTOCOMIX

WALTER SIMONSON @ JIM HANLEY'S UNIVERSE

Join us on Wednesday, September 19th at 6PM at Jim Hanley's Universe Manhattan location for Comic Book Legend Walt Simonson, in a panel discussion hosted by Leaping Tall Buildings writer Christopher Irving, followed by a signing. Walt will be promoting his new DC Comics original Graphic Novel The Judas Coin,  a time tossed tale of how one of the coins paid to Judas to betray Jesus had a lasting effect in shaping the DC Universe.

Please note that in order to participate in the signing, customers must purchase at least one of the following books between 9/12/12 and 9/19/12:

Avengers 27, Avengers 28, Avengers 29, Avengers 30, Alien:TPB: The Illustrated Story, The Judas Coin, or any selection from the JHU Exclusive 'Walt Simonson Classics Grab bag' (*See Front Counter for details*).

Jim Hanley's Universe

4 West 33rd Stree, NYC
September 19th, 6PM

Facebook event page

Baltimore Comicon

I'll be at Baltimore Comicon next weekend sharing a table with Dean Haspiel, Joe Infurnari and Reilly Brown.  We will have a bunch of cool stuff for sale, including;

 Seth Kushner will be selling and signing copies of his book, LEAPING TALL BUILDINGS: The Origins of American Comics, limited edition LTB prints by me, Peter Kuper, and Becky Cloonan, to benefit the CBLDF [Comic Book Legal Defense Fund], CulturePOP Photocomix limited edition book collecting four installments of Seth Kushner's web series featuring; bootleg toy designer Sucklord, aerialist Lisa Natoli, Bronx Flavor TV host Barron Ambrosia and graffiti artist/sculptor Carlos 'Mare 139' Rodriguez, and debut his very first mini-comic, SCHMUCK: Bush, Boobs, + Brooklyn Edition, collecting two episodes of Seth Kushner's autobio "comix neurotica" drawn by Ryan Alexander-Tanner and Pierce Hargan. 

The Last Romantic Antihero By Dean Haspiel Color / 24-pages Ten Dollars [$10] While living through a modern apocalypse sparked by apathy and indifference, love titans Billy Dogma and Jane Legit are sent a message from the future and learn they have to “make the new love.” “Pekar meets Tarkovsky” – Douglas Rushkoff “Masterful cartoons from comics’ greatest epic-poet” – Nick Bertozzi BALTIMORE COMICON, Sept 8th - 9th http://baltimorecomiccon.com/ In Baltimore, I will be sharing my table with Seth Kushner, Joe Infurnari, and Reilly Brown, and I will be presenting at The Harvey Awards. Joe Infurnari will be selling and signing copies of Marathon [written by Boaz Yakin], and MUSH! Sled Dogs with Issues [written by Glenn Eichler], and will have advance copies of TIME F#CKER. 

 
Time F#cker By Joe Infurnari In the Oven Press $8 Regular (Limited to 200 copies) $15 Deluxe Edition (Limited to 100 copies) incl. limited edition 1.25" button and original sketch! Sal Ghesboro has just found Thomas Edison’s Peepshow Time Machine and he knows exactly what he’s going to do with it. He’s going back in time to impregnate the moms of his greatest detractors before they were born; Time F#cking them out of existence. And who is his first victim? His very own brother, of course!

 
Reilly Brown will be selling prints, sketches, and SKETCHES, THE ART OF REILLY BROWN: Volume One, while hawking his digital comix; Power Play, and AvX Infinite, and holding up the fort drawing commissions.

Plus, we'll have copies of the TRIP CITY Visitor's Guide 2012.  See you there!

LEAPING TALL BUILDINGS @ MIDTOWN COMICS

It’s the Midtown Comics Book Club! Join us for Midtown's monthly Graphic Novel book club at their Downtown store. This month’s book will be Leaping Tall Buildings The Origin of American Comics, and the creators Christopher Irving and Seth Kushner along with designer Eric Skillman will be there to discuss the book with the club! If that’s not enough to entice, free donuts will be served!

Don’t have the book yet? Save 25% off cover price at any of our three stores (in-store only). Just mention the Midtown Comics Book Club at the cash register! The Book Club will meet on Friday August 31st at 6:30PM at Midtown Comics Downtown. SEATS ARE VERY LIMITED!

RSVP ON FACEBOOK HERE!
 See you there!

August 31, 2012 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Midtown Comics Downtown
64 Fulton St New York, NY 10038 

Leaping Tall Buildings: The Origins of American Comics outlines the history of comic books through the creators, documented in Irving’s interview-based essays and Kushner’s photography. The Wall Street Journal calls Leaping Tall Buildings ”a living history,” while The New York Times considers it “a great survey of many of the talented men and women behind the characters.” Publisher’s Weekly calls it “nearly as epic as the field’s history itself,” while Huffington Post refers to Kushner’s photography as “remarkable.”

LEAPING TALL BUILDINGS @ Greenlight Bookstore this Thursday

CulturePOP Photocomix: STOYA

My web series CulturePOP Photocomix is back with new episodes at TripCity.net, the Brooklyn-filtered literary arts salon.

This all-new episode profiles pornstar STOYA.  The profile, titled "No Secrets" focuses on Stoya's use of social media to dispel myths about pornography and women's body image, her philosophy on working in porn and much more.  On all topics, Stoya is brutally honest.

See it here - STOYA: NO SECRETS
http://welcometotripcity.com/2012/08/culturepop-stoya/

As an added bonus, be sure to listen to my candid 30-minute audio interview with Stoya, embedded below the profile.

Also, please view remastered versions of all 31 episodes of CulturePOP, including recent installments; JONATHAN AMES: BROOKLYN PHALLACY, MARK MARON: FUNNY FOR HAPPY,  MOBY: MOVING ON,  JAMES HASPIEL: THE ONE AND ONLY and CHUCK KLOSTERMAN: WRITING WITH YOUR MIND at TRIP CITY.
http://bit.ly/CulturePOPphotocomix

CulturePOP PHOTOCOMIX: STOYA

LEAPING TALL BUILDING AT JIM HANLEY'S UNIVERSE

On Wednesday July 25th at 6PM, Jim Hanley's Universe hosts LEAPING TALL BUILDINGS: THE ORIGINS OF AMERICAN COMICS authors Christopher Irving and Seth Kushner, plus an assembly of top notch comic book creators who are featured in the book; Chris Claremont (X-Men) Larry Hama (G.I. Joe), Dean Haspiel (TRIP CITY), Kevin Colden (The Crow), Joe Infunari (Marathon), Simon Fraser (Nikolai Dante) and  Matt Madden (Mastering Comics).

There will be a panel with all the aforementioned creators as well as a book signing where creators will be signing Leaping as well as their own works.

Jim Hanley's Universe
July 25th at 6PM
4 West 33rd Street
New York, New York 10001

Visit the Facebook event page

Leaping Tall Buildings: The Origins Of American Comics, a love letter to the comic book industry, tells the  history of comics through 50 creator profiles including; Art Spiegelman, Al Jaffee, Dean Haspiel, Chris Ware, Denny O’Neil, Becky Cloonan, Brian Micahel Bendis, Josh Neufeld, Joe Simon, Jessica Abel, Frank Miller, Gene Colan, Grant Morrison, Harvey Pekar, Jill Thompson, Jimmy Palmiotti, Larry Hama, Michael Kupperman, Mike Allred, Neal Adams, Neil Gaiman, Paul Pope and many more.

The book has been garnering strong reviews:

Publisher’s Weekly posted a nice interview / article and of the book says, “A new book about the comics industry is nearly as epic as the field’s history itself.”

Flavorwire says of Leaping: “You may think you know the men and women behind your favorite superheroes, but of course, there’s yet another man behind Clark Kent — his creator.”

Wired.com featured Leaping Tall Buildings, along with interviews with Kushner and Irving and a gallery of images from the book by Kushner, and noted that “Leaping Tall Buildings: The Origins of American Comics gives the writers and artists who create them a chance to shine.”

Huffington Post featured a gallery of Kushner’s photos and says, “A major part of the book is the art of photographer Seth Kushner, who has captured remarkable images of some of the biggest living names in comics.”

The New York Times calls the book “a great survey of many of the talented men and women behind the characters.”

The Wall Street Journal refers to Leaping as “a collection of brief and beautifully illustrated profiles of comic-book artists.”

Be sure to preview some of the Kushner’s photos from the book at Photo District News’s Photo of the Day gallery, Real Life Comic Book Heroes.

Listen to Seth Kushner (along with Dean Haspiel) on John Siuntres’s Word Balloon Podcast.

Read an interview with Seth Kushner at SciFiPulse.

NEAL ADAMS & DENNY O’NEIL IN CONVERSATION AT HOUSING WORKS, NYC

powerHouse Books is pleased to announce
LEAPING TALL BUILDINGS
NEAL ADAMS & DENNIS O'NEIL IN CONVERSATION
Housing Works Bookstore Cafe 126 Crosby Street, New York, NY 10012

The legendary creative team of artist Neal Adams and writer Dennis O'Neil reunites for a special panel on "Social Relevance in Comics" at Housing Works Bookstore on July 17th, moderated by Christopher Irving, writer of Leaping Tall Buildings: The Origins of American Comics (powerHouse Books). Leaping Tall Buildings gives a historical survey of the comic book medium through photographer Seth Kushner's unique portraits and Irving's interview-based essays. The pair are celebrating the book's release through this benefit panel at Housing Works.

"Through their revolutionary work on both Batman and Green Lantern/Green Arrow, Adams and O'Neil literally redefined the superhero, pushing the genre into wider social acceptance and more mature themes," Irving, a Housing Works member, says. "When you think of what they each did on their own, and then look at their combined efforts, it's mind-blowing. Getting to moderate the two of them together is beyond an honor for me--it's a once in a lifetime opportunity."

"When thinking about who to feature at an event for Housing Works, Adams and O'Neil immediately sprung to mind," says Kushner. "Their Green Lantern/Green Arrow work broke new ground in social consciousness in comics and we're thrilled to be reuniting them for so great a cause."

The panel will cover the use of social relevance in the O'Neil/Adams issues of Green Lantern/Green Arrow from the early 1970s and will also touch on their milestone work on the Batman comics during that time. Their Batman run redefined the character for the post-television generations by restoring the character's status as "The Dark Knight," while their GL/GA run brought mainstream media attention to the then-underappreciated superhero genre.

Neal Adams brought an unprecedented sense of realism to superhero art in the 1960s. His work on X-Men, as well as his dynamic cover and interior art for DC Comics, redefined the look and dynamism of the superhero genre for generations. Currently writing and drawing the limited series Batman: Odyssey, Adams is gearing up for The First X-Men, a mini-series that he will be drawing and co-writing with Christos Gage.

Dennis O'Neil continued to bring a real world gravitas to superheros through subsequent decades, with stints as writer and then editor of Daredevil at Marvel Comics (where he edited Frank Miller's iconic run). O'Neil returned to DC Comics in the 1980s as editor of the Batman titles where he masterminded the creation of Batman villian Bane, who serves as the villian in this month's film The Dark Knight Rises.

Housing Works is a New York City based non-profit organization that provides support to victims of HIV/AIDS and works to end the dual crises of AIDS and homelessness through relentless advocacy, the provision of lifesaving services, and entrepreneurial businesses that sustain our efforts.

Leaping Tall Buildings: The Origins of American Comics outlines the history of comic books through the creators, documented in Irving's interview-based essays and Kushner's photography. The Wall Street Journal calls Leaping Tall Buildings "a living history," while The New York Times considers it "a great survey of many of the talented men and women behind the characters." Publisher's Weekly calls it "nearly as epic as the field's history itself," while Huffington Post refers to Kushner's photography as "remarkable."

For more information about Leaping Tall Buildings: The Origins of American Comics please click here.

Read the GRAPHIC NYC profiles on Neal Adams here and Dennis O'Neil here, by Christopher Irving and Seth Kushner, a version of which appears in their book, Leaping Tall Buildings: The Origins of American Comics.

Read the GRAPHIC NYC profiles on Neal Adams and Dennis O'Neil, by Christopher Irving and Seth Kushner, a version of which appears in their book, Leaping Tall Buildings: The Origins of American Comics.

For more information, please contact Nina Ventura, Publicist
powerHouse Books, 37 Main Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Tel: 212-604-9074 x118, Fax: 212-366-5247, email: nina@powerHouseBooks.com

© Copyright 2012 powerHouse Books

ERNEST BORGNINE R.I.P.

I had the honor of briefly meeting and photographing Ernest Borgnine last year.  He struck me as a sweet and gentle man.  As a child I knew him from Disney's The Black Hole, and as an adult I marveled at his iconic performance as the lovable loser in Marty. Watching the film last year I was amazed at his naturalistic performance as a real New York character.  He hardly seemed to be acting, but instead inhabiting this guy from the Bronx who was looking for love.

Ernest Borgnine was one of the greats.

UNDERSTANDING PHOTOCOMIX IN AMERICAN PHOTO MAGAZINE

I was asked by American Photo magazine to to produce an 8-page meta "photocomic" about myself making photocomix, something I've been doing in my "spare" time for the past two years as the series, CulturePOP Photocomix.  I decided to title the piece "Understanding Photocomix (a nod to Scott McCloud).  I managed to use words and photos to tell the story of how I first discovered photography, first started working freelance for magazine, how I produced my book The Brooklynites (with Anthony LaSala), how Leaping Tall Buildings came about,  and how I learned to combine my loves of comic books and photography into a wholly unique form.

I had only a week to put it all together, and it was amazingly challenging, but I am proud of the results which can be seen at magazine stands and bookstores now

CulturePOP Photocomix: Chuck Klosterman

CulturePOP Photocomix is back with a new episode at TRIPCITY.net, the Brooklyn-filtered literary arts salon.

This all-new episode profiles CHUCK KLOSTERMAN, author of The Visible Man, Killing Yourself To Live, Fargo Rock City, Sex, Drugs And Cocoa Puffs and others.  The profile, titled "Writing With Your Mind" focuses on Klosterman's philosophy and style of writing.

See it here - CHUCK KLOSTERMAN: WRITING WITH YOUR MIND

The text comes from quotes taken from Ron Scalzo's interview with Klosterman for the TRIP CITY Podcast, which debuts today as well, and can be heard here - TRIP CITY PODCAST 16: CHUCK KLOSTERMAN

Also, please be sure to view remastered versions of all 30 episodes of CulturePOP, including recent the installments JONATHAN AMES: BROOKLYN PHALLACY,  MARK MARON: FUNNY FOR HAPPY, JAMES HASPIEL: THE ONE AND ONLY and MOBY: MOVING ON at TRIP CITY-
http://bit.ly/CulturePOPphotocomix
 

PDN PHOTO ANNUAL 2012

 

I was chosen as a winner in the 2012 PDN Photo Annual in the websites category for my portrait of writer/director/actress Miranda July. I'd been selected twice previous, in 2001 and 2006, and it's always a great feeling to be recognized for my work.

The photo was shot for the TRIP CITY Podcast.  Miranda was an interesting subject.  She seemed very uncomfortable, which seemed a bit off to me, since I pride myself on making my subjects feel comfortable, but gladly the awkwardness led to what I believe is a compelling portrait.

SethKushner.com Update



I recently did a major update on my website, www.SethKushner.com.  You'll find recent photos of Martin Landau, Henry Rollins, Marc Maron, Reggie Watts, Michael Moore, Miranda July, Jonathan Ames and many more.  Plus, see recent shoots for City Point for Co-Op, an 800 portrait project for Rosetta, a book I produced for the non-for-profit CAMBA and more.

CREATOR-OWNED HEROES

Yesterday saw the release of the first issue of Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray & Steve Niles's new comics anthology CREATOR-OWNED HEROES.  The 46-page book (a bargain for only $4) features the super cool new comics TRIGGERGIRL 6  by Palmiotti & Gray, with art by Phil Noto, and AMERICAN MUSCLE by Niles, with art by Kevin Mellon.  Plus, the there's toms of magazine-style back matter featuring an  interview with Neil Gaiman, a sexy cosplay feature, words from the creators,  and a full page feature on ME, focusing on LEAPING TALL BUILDINGS, CulturePOP, TRIP CITY and SCHMUCK.

Though distributed by Image Comics, the book is self-financed.  "What we have been doing for the past few years is is putting aside money that we make off our regular work and every once in a while get enough saved so we could publish something new that we would own the rights to", says Palmiotti in his welcome page.

In this day and age of corporate ownership of properties, it's great to see creators taking a chance to put out their own works.  This is an important and inspiring project to support.

KELLY BENSIMON FOR NEW YORK FAMILY

One misty Saturday morning at the crack of dawn, myself, my assistant Kathleen Ching and the New York Family Magazine crew, including Editor & Co-Publisher Eric Messenger, Senior Editor Whitney Casser and Art Director George Widmer, ventured to Coney Island for a cover shoot with Real Housewives of New York reality TV star / author /model Kelly Bensimon and her daughters Sea and Teddy.

Though it was chilly and rainy I used my lighting to brighten and saturate the colors to give the illusion of a care-free summer day.

Photo by Kathleen Ching

LEAPING TALL BUILDINGS IS HERE!

LeapingTall Buildings: The Origins of American Comics comes out in bookstores everywhere today. The hardcover book is the culmination of four years of work Seth Kushner and Christopher Irving.  Leaping takes the profiles from GRAPHIC NYC and fits them all together in a 240 hardcover with beautiful and bold design by Eric Skillman!

Publisher's Weekly posted a nice interview / article and of the book says, "A new book about the comics industry is nearly as epic as the field’s history itself. Featuring over 50 cartoonists captured in interviews and photos, Christopher Irving and Seth Kushner’s Leaping Tall Buildings The Origin of American Comics, from PowerHouse Books, weaves a narrative about working in the comics field through the eyes of a diverse array of creators, among them cartoonists Al Jaffee, Chris Ware, Jim Shooter, Dan Didio, Jessica Abel, and many more."

Flavorwire says of Leaping: “You may think you know the men and women behind your favorite superheroes, but of course, there’s yet another man behind Clark Kent — his creator.”

Wired.com featured Leaping Tall Buildings, along with interviews with Kushner and Irving and a gallery of images from the book by Kushner, and noted that “Leaping Tall Buildings: The Origins of American Comics gives the writers and artists who create them a chance to shine.”

The Huffington Post featured a gallery of Kushner's photos and says, "A major part of the book is the art of photographer Seth Kushner, who has captured remarkable images of some of the biggest living names in comics."

Be sure to preview some of the Kushner's photos from the book at Photo District News's Photo of the Day gallery, Real Life Comic Book Heroes.

ADAM YAUCH R.I.P.

MoCCA FEST 2012

Hot off the presses! We will have fresh copies of the TRIP CITY VISITOR'S GUIDE 2012, our very first literary arts print anthology available for sale [$5] at Jeffrey Burandt aka Jef UK's table [I2] at the MoCCA Fest this weekend [April 28 -29, from 11am - 6pm],  located at the 69th Regiment Armory, 68 Lexington Avenue in NYC.

Plus, Americans UK will be in attendance with writer and front-man Jef UK hawking the latest Rocktronic Mixtape 2 anthology, featuring stories by Michael Lapinski, Aaron Bir, Zees, and more of indy comix rising talents!  And, check out some new tunes by way of their Kickstarter-funded Luxuria EP on vinyl, while you're there. Plus, AM/UK will have new t-shirts in new colors, in all sizes. AM/UK comix artists Paul Ciarvino and Zees Moreno will be sitting in too, available for sketches and signing books!

Photographer, Seth Kushner, will be at the powerHouse Books table [B6] on Saturday: 11:00-12:30 and 3:00-4:30 +  Sunday: 1:00-2:30 and 4:30-6:00, along with writer, Chris Irving, to sell and sign their gorgeous tome, LEAPING TALL BUILDINGS: The Origins of American Comics, as well as, sell exclusive LTB posters designed by artists, Peter Kuper, Becky Cloonan, and Dean Haspiel [who will be signing from 3-4pm on Saturday].

On Saturday be sure to check out:

4:15pm Harvey Pekar's Final Projects - ROOM A
Jeff Newelt, Joyce Brabner, Joseph Remnant, Rick Parker, Sean Pryor, Dean Haspiel, JD Waldman
Celebrating the life and work of comics pioneer Harvey Pekar with his widow, and writer in her own right, Joyce Brabner, joins a group of his artist collaborators.

On Sunday be sure to check out:

11:15am Workshop: Drawing with Rick Parker - ROOM B
Rick Parker (Beavis & Butthead, and Papercutz)
Join cartoonist Rick Parker for an insightful, funny and hands-on workshop in cartooning! This workshop is great for cartoonists of all ages.

2:00pm A Discussion with Josh Neufeld and Shannon Wheeler - ROOM B
Josh Neufeld (A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge), Shannon Wheeler (Oil and Water, Too Much Coffee Man)
These two creators interview one another about their work in comics, especially as it relates to their approaches documenting tragedy on the Gulf Coast.

2:15pm Memoir - ROOM A
Calvin Reid, Derf, Peter Kuper, Jennifer Hayden, Mike Dawson
Makers of autobio comics discuss filter their lives through sequential art.

***

And, finally, don't be shy to whoop it up at the MoCCA Fest 2012 Official AfterParty, produced by Jeff Newelt aka Jah Furry on Saturday, April 28th from  7pm - 10pm at the Village Pourhouse, 64 3rd Ave (at 11th st), New York, NY 10003

A TITANIC TEAM-UP
The MoCCA Fest 2012 Official AfterParty + HARVEY PEKAR's CLEVELAND Launch Party!
Live Music by DANIEL JOHNSTON
+ Special Appearance by JEFFREY LEWIS
+ hosted/produced by JEFF NEWELT
+ DJ BRIAN HEATER
+ TOASTS to LEAPING TALL BUILDINGS: The Origins of American Comics (w/photos by Seth Kushner); BLUE graphic novel by PAT GRANT; Lit/Arts salon TRIP CITY: and the 6th Anniversary of indie webcomix collective ACTIVATEcomix.
***Sponsored by Top Shelf Comix & ZIP Comics***

[Chris Miskiewicz, Jeffrey Burandt aka Jef UK, Seth Kushner, & Dean Haspiel]

Leaping Tall Buildings: Seth Kushner's Photography & Comix Event at BookCourt

Tue Apr 17, 7:00PM @ BookCourt

163 Court Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201

info@bookcourt.com

Seth Kushner (The Brooklynites) has taken his skills as a photographer and his passion for comic books and turned them into two unique projects. In Leaping Tall Buildings: The Origins of American Comics, Kushner created distinctive environmental portraits of over 75 top comics creators, a selection of which will be presented and discussed. Kushner's other long-term project, CulturePOP Photocomix, allows him to profile fascinating subjects such as Emmy Award winning comix creator Dean Haspiel, author Tim Hall, and Bravo's "Work of Art: The Next Great Artist" reality show star/bootleg toy designer, Sucklord, who will all be reading from their CulturePOP profiles while the images are projected

Performer Bio(s):

Tim Hall has collaborated with some of the finest comic artists working today, including Dean Haspiel, Josh Neufeld, Jennifer Hayden, Chris Sinderson, Derek Marks, Nick Bertozzi, and Sam Henderson. He is the author of two novels and three collections of stories. He lives in New York City with his wife and son.

Emmy award winning artist, Dean Haspiel, created the Eisner Award nominated, "Billy Dogma," and illustrated for HBO's "Bored To Death." Dino has drawn many superhero and semi-autobiographical comic books and graphic novels for major publishers, including collaborations with Jonathan Lethem, Harvey Pekar, Jonathan Ames, Inverna Lockpez, and Tim Hall. Dino also won the 6th Anniversary Literary Death Match in NYC with his "brute charisma" and curates cool multimedia projects at TripCity.net, a Brooklyn-filtered literary arts salon.​

Sucklord is the creator of SUCKADELIC ENTERPRISES, an evil arts organization based in Chinatown NYC. Specializing in bootleg action figures, illicit remixrecords, and low-budget sci-fi movies. Sucklord seamlessly blends geeky nerd obsessions with street-level hipster cool. A master of media manipulation, The Sucklord is both an entrepreneur and an artist. Sucklord has been in designer toy world business since 2004 and revels in his self-proclaimed "art world outsider" status.Sucklord was featured on Bravo's Work of Art: The Next Great Artist.

Facebook Page:

http://www.facebook.com/events/386280954717940/

The book release will also be celebrated in the form of exclusive, limited edition art prints drawn by Becky Cloonan (DEMO, Conan), Dean Haspiel (American Splendor, TV's Bored to Death) and Peter Kuper (Spy vs. Spy)). The limited edition prints will benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

ABOUT THE BOOK: Some are mild mannered geeks, others mad geniuses or street-smart city dwellers driven to action. These are the men and women behind the masks and tights of America's most beloved superheroes. But these aren't the stories of the heroes' hidden alter egos or secret identities...these are the stories of their creators! Leaping Tall Buildings: The Origins of American Comics gives you the truth about the history of the American comic book—straight from the revolutionary artists and writers behind them. Leaping Tall Buildings assembles writer Christopher Irving's interview-based essays and photographer Seth Kushner's portraits of comic book creators into a narrative thread. The pair successfully started the project as the Graphic NYC website, www.nycgraphicnovelists.com, in December 2008.

Christopher Irving is a pop culture historian with a concentration in the American comic book. A veteran of comics history and journalism magazines like Comics Buyers Guide and multiple Eisner Award-winning Comic Book Artist (where he served as Associate Editor), Irving combines new journalism with comics history to create personality essays on comic book creators. Leaping Tall Buildings is Irving's fifth book on comic books. Irving currently edits digital comics magazine The Drawn Word. www.thedrawnword.com

Seth Kushner's portrait photography has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Time, Newsweek, L'Uomo Vogue, The New Yorker and others. He was chosen by Photo District News magazine as a three-time winner of their Photo Annual Competition. Seth's first book, The Brooklynites, (with Anthony LaSala) was published by powerHouse Books in 2007. Currently, Seth is working on CulturePOP Photocomix, profiling real-life characters on TripCity.net. Seth resides in his hometown of Brooklyn, New York with his wife, son and way too many cameras and comics. www.SethKushner.com

For more information about the book please visit: http://www.powerhousebooks.com/site/?p=11646

YOUR SCHMUCKIEST STORY CONTEST

Send your schmuckiest, most happless, awkward, embarrassing and/or clumsy personal story, 800 words or less, by May 7 and I’ll pick the top three which will then be read by a jury comprised of Emmy Award winning cartoonist, Dean Haspiel (Bored To Death, Billy Dogma), Eisner award winning cartoonist Nick Abadzis, (Laika, Hugo Tate), and poet/author Sandra Beasley (Don’t Kill The Birthday Girl, I was The Juke Box) who will pick the first, second and third place winners. All will be published on TripCity.net, one per month, from least schmucky to most schmucky, between June and August.

The following prizes will be awarded:

1^st Place – A signed copy of Leaping Tall Buildings: The Origins of American Comics by Christopher Irving and Seth Kushner

2^nd Place – A signed copy of Seth Kushner’s limited edition CulturePOP Photocomix book.

3^rd Place – A signed copy of the TRIP CITY Visitor Guide

Please, amateur schmucks only—no pros!!

PLEASE EMAIL ALL ENTRIES TO: tripcityinfo@gmail.com

Read SCHMUCK, Seth Kushner’s “comix neurotica” and prose at TRIP CITY

The Jury

Emmy award winning artist, Dean Haspiel, created the Eisner Award nominated, "Billy Dogma," and illustrated for HBO's "Bored To Death." Dino has drawn many superhero and semi-autobiographical comic books and graphic novels for major publishers, including collaborations with Jonathan Lethem, Harvey Pekar, Jonathan Ames, Inverna Lockpez, and Tim Hall. Dino also won the 6th Anniversary Literary Death Match in NYC with his "brute charisma" and curates cool multimedia projects at TripCity.net

Sandra Beasley is the author of I Was the Jukebox (winner of the Barnard Women Poets Prize), Theories of Falling (winner of the New Issues Poetry Prize), and Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl: Tales from an Allergic Life, a memoir. Her essays have appeared in the Oxford American, and Washington Post Magazine. Her poetry has turned up in such venues as The Believer, Slate, and The Best American Poetry 2010. She keeps her heart in a suitcase and her groceries in Washington, DC.

Nick Abadzis is a cartoonist, writer, graphic novelist and editor of international renown who has been honored with various awards including the prestigious Eisner in 2008 for his graphic novel Laika. He recently relocated from London in the UK to New York City where he continues to work both as a storyteller and editorial consultant. His next major project is a revamped and digitally-restored collection of his first ever strip Hugo Tate, originally published in legendary UK music and comics magazine Deadline. This will be published by Blank Slate Books in 2012, and other graphic novels are in the works.

Seth Kushner’s photography has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Time, Newsweek, L’Uomo Vogue, The New Yorker and others. He was chosen by Photo District News magazine as a three-time winner of their Photo Annual Competition. Seth’s first book, The Brooklynites, (with Anthony LaSala) was published by powerHouse Books in 2007. His next book, Leaping Tall Buildings: The Origins of American Comics (with Chris Irving) will be released in May 2012.


--Original illustration by Kevin Colden

LEAPING TALL BUILDINGS LAUNCH EVENT 4/14

To celebrate the release of Leaping Tall Buildings, powerHouse Books and the authors will host the launch event April 14th at The powerHouse Arena in DUMBO Brooklyn at 37 Main Street.

LEAPING TALL BUILDINGS: THE ORIGINS OF AMERICAN COMICS
Photographs by Seth Kushner
Text and interviews by Christopher Irving

The book launch festivities, free and open to the public, start at 3:00 PM with a series of panels and an exhibition of Seth Kushner's inimitable photographic portraits of comic book luminaries.

PANEL SCHEDULE:

3:00-3:45 PM: Autobiography in Comics
Panel guests will include comics legend Irwin Hasen (Green Lantern), Bob Fingerman (Minimum Wage), Molly Crabapple (Dr. Sketchy's), and Raina Telgemeier (Smile).

4:00-4:45 PM: From Comic Books to Film
Panel guests will include Chris Claremont (X-Men writer), Paul Levitz (former DC Comics President and Legion of Superheroes writer), and writer Denny O'Neil (Batman).

5:00-5:45 PM: Behind the Pictures
Co-authors Christopher Irving and Seth Kushner discuss the trials, tribulations, and adventures had in interviewing and photographing the stars of Leaping Tall Buildings.

The book release will also be celebrated in the form of exclusive, limited edition art prints drawn by Becky Cloonan (DEMO, Conan), Dean Haspiel (HBO's Bored to Death, Billy Dogma), Peter Kuper (Spy vs. Spy, Stop Forgetting To Remember), and Paul Pope (100%, Battling Boy). The limited edition prints will benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, who will also be present to host cartoonist signings.

From 6:00 to 8:00 PM, powerHouse Books will host an evening reception, with copies of Leaping Tall Buildings on hand for purchase and signing by the authors and featured creators in attendance. Ron Scalzo (Q*Ball, Hooper, Bald Freak Music) will be DJ master for the evening.

ABOUT THE BOOK: Some are mild mannered geeks, others mad geniuses or street-smart city dwellers driven to action. These are the men and women behind the masks and tights of America's most beloved superheroes. But these aren't the stories of the heroes' hidden alter egos or secret identities...these are the stories of their creators! Leaping Tall Buildings: The Origins of American Comics gives you the truth about the history of the American comic book—straight from the revolutionary artists and writers behind them. Leaping Tall Buildings assembles writer Christopher Irving's interview-based essays and photographer Seth Kushner's portraits of comic book creators into a narrative thread. The pair successfully started the project as the Graphic NYC website, www.nycgraphicnovelists.com, in December 2008.

Christopher Irving is a pop culture historian with a concentration in the American comic book. A veteran of comics history and journalism magazines like Comics Buyers Guide and multiple Eisner Award-winning Comic Book Artist (where he served as Associate Editor), Irving combines new journalism with comics history to create personality essays on comic book creators. Leaping Tall Buildings is Irving's fifth book on comic books. Irving currently edits digital comics magazine The Drawn Word. www.thedrawnword.com



Seth Kushner's portrait photography has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Time, Newsweek, L'Uomo Vogue, The New Yorker and others. He was chosen by Photo District News magazine as one of their 30 under 30 in 1999 and is a two-time winner of their Photo Annual Competition. Seth's first book, The Brooklynites, (with Anthony LaSala) was published by powerHouse Books in 2007. Currently, Seth is working on CulturePOP Photocomix, and profiling real-life characters on ACT-I-VATE.com and WelcomeToTripCity.com. Seth resides in his hometown of Brooklyn, New York with his wife, son and way too many cameras and comics. www.SethKushner.com

For more information about the book please visit: http://www.powerhousebooks.com/site/?p=11646

RSVP to: nina@powerHouseBooks.com

For press inquiries please contact Nina Ventura, Publicist
powerHouse Books, 37 Main Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Tel: 212-604-9074 x118, Fax: 212-366-5247, email: nina@powerHouseBooks.com

LEAPING TALL BUILDINGS AT FLAUNT

My upcoming book, LEAPING TALL BUILDINGS: The Origins of American Comics was named by Flaunt Magazine as the #1 pick of their current Baker's Dozen. The book tells the history of comics through 50 creator profiles, and represents a four-year labor-of-love for me and writer Christopher Irving. Look for it in May from powerHouse Books, or pre-order now.

LEAPING TALL BUILDINGS ON LA TIMES HERO COMPLEX

My upcoming book, LEAPING TALL BUILDINGS: The Origins of American Comics was recently featured on LA Times: Hero Complex. The feature, "Joe Simon and Jack Kirby: Secret Origins of a Classic Tandem" excerpts from the Simon an Kirby section of the book and utilizes my photo of Simon, Christopher Irving's text and classic art from the legendary duo.

Thanks to Geoff Boucher for putting together a great feature!

LEAPING TALL BUILDINGS tells the history of comics through 50 creator profiles, and represents a four-year labor-of-love for me and writer Christopher Irving. Look for it in May from powerHouse Books, or pre-order now.

SCHMUCK Episode 3: The Hook-Up at TripCity.net

Chapter One of SCHMUCK , Beers, Babes and Bowel Movements (art by Kevin Colden) was designed to introduce readers to Adam Kessler and his situation. We learn of his recent break-up and how he is handling it. Last months's Chapter Two, The Burning (art by Bobby Timony) had Adam dealing with the loss of his girlfriend and enduring the "ritual burning of the flesh" as he has the last remnants of his lost love literally burned off his body. By the conclusion, he's ready to move on with his life.

In SCHMUCK Episode 3: The Hook-Up, Adam takes his first steps re-entering the dating world, with a "hook-up" at a Madonna-themed party. The results of which will be comically tragic.

Each episode will feature a different artist and “The Hook-Up” is drawn by Sean Pryor. I was first introduced to Sean several years back by mutual friend Jeff Newelt, who was Sean's editor at SMITH Mag's The Pekar Project. I was immediately impressed with Sean's sensibility and storytelling, and he was the very first artist I though of when I decided to make SCHMUCK an anthology.

Since Sean worked with the great Harvey Pekar, I knew he'd have no trouble drawing autobio materia. Opening the email containing Sean's final pages felt like Christmas morning, and I'm Jewish! I loved how he visually translated my script, adding flourishes of his own aesthetic to mine. Also, Sean obviously had a ball drawing all kinds of details and characters in the backgrounds of the Madonna party.

One of the best parts of working on this series have been the collaborations with the artists and seeing how each brings their own vibe to my schmucky tales. Look for artist Shamus Beyale's work next month.

Read SCHMUCK Episode 3: The Hook-Up at TRIP CITY now.



Sean Pryor is a cartoonist/illustrator and a School of Visual Arts graduate. Pryor has contributed numerous illustrations to magazines including Revolver, Royal Flush, and Wet Feet, as well as several comic stories for Harvey Pekar’s webcomic series The Pekar Project. To find out more about Pryor’s endeavors visit SeanPryor.com.